Can opener



1934- H. voN WOLFORSDORF 1,977,903

CAN OPENER .Filed Dec. 6, 1930' ZF7VEFZZEF Patented Oct. 23, 1934 CAN OPENER Hans Von Woli'orsdorf, Wheaton, Ill., assignor to Dazey Churn & Manufacturing Company, St.

Louis, Mo.,

a corporation of Missouri Application December 6, 1930, Serial No. 500,482

9 Claims.

Heretofore in the use of the varioustypes of can openers which'have been in commercial use, tests and investigations have disclosed that in practically all cases where a cover or section of a metal can or container is removed or cut by means of a can opener that fine particles or small pieces, resulting from the cutting operation, drop into the contents of the container or can, thereby creating not only an unsanitary condition but presenting the possibility that'the resultant metal particles, are consumed with the possibility of causing injury or dangerous results to individuals eating the contents of containers or cans which have been opened by the ordinary type of can opener.

' To obviate the depositing of particles or pieces of metal into the contents of containers resulting from the opening or cutting of metal containers or cans, this invention has been devised to provide a container or can opener having one or more of the parts thereof magnetized whereby any particles or small pieces of 'metal resulting from the opening or cutting of a container are attracted and held by the magnetized portion of the can opener thereby not only preventing the articles or pieces of material from dropping into the contents of thecan or container but holding the particles of material so that they can be removed with the removal of the can opener, not only producing an improved sanitary condition in the opening of cans but eliminating the possible danger which heretofore has been encountered resulting from the consumption of particles or pieces of metal dropping into the contents of containers or cans which have been cut or opened by non--magnetic can openers.

It is an object of this invention to provide a magnetized can opener to obviate the dropping of out parts of a container or can into the contents thereof.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a can opener having one or more of the parts thereof magnetized whereby any particles or pieces of metal resulting from the cutting of a can will adhere to the magnetized portions of the can opener and be prevented from dropping into the contents of the can.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a can opener having a cutting member which is magnetized to cause any particles of metal resulting from the cutting of a can by the can opener to adhere to the cutting member to prevent the same from dropping into the contents of the-can.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide an improved type of can opener wherein one of the pivoted handles has a cutting blade rigidly secured thereto for coaction witha feed roller which is rotatably supported on the other of the pivoted handles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a can opener having a stationary cutting blade and a rotatable feed member operable by actuating members, with said can opener having parts thereof. constructed of magnetic metal to' which any minute particles or pieces of the metal resulting from the cutting of a can are adapted to adhere to prevent the same from dropping into the contents of the can. A

It is an important object 01' this invention to provide an improved type of can opener having a magnetic cutter and a magnetic bracket to which metal particles resulting from the cutting of a can and the separated cover or section of the can are adapted to respectively adhere to pre vent the same from dropping into the contents of the can.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawing.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved can opener embodying the principles of this invention and engaged with a can illustrated in section and showing particles of the metal resulting from the cutting of the can cover adhering to the cutter member.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the can opener removed from the can showing the cutter member carrying the metal particles resulting from the opening of a container or can.

Figure 3 illustrates a fragmentary section of a can having engaged thereon a modified form of can opener including both a magnetized cutter and a magnetized cover attracting bracket.

As shown on the drawing:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a metal can provided with a top or cover 2 illustrated as being partially cut by means of an improved can opener embodying the principles of this invention.

The can opener comprises a pair of handles 3 and 4 which are pivotally connected near one end by means of a pivot bolt 5 or the like. Formed on the handle member 3 is alguide tongue or extension 6 which is adapted-when the handles are pressed together to engage over the handle 4 to prevent the handles from spreading or moving transversely away from one another during the operation of the can opener. Integrally-formed on one longitudinal edge of the shank '1 of the handle member 4 in a flange or shoulder plate 8 which projects rearwardly under theshank end 9 of the handle 3 and is provided with a slot through which a cutting blade or member 10 is venting the same from dropping into the contents of the can- Integrally formed'with the shoulder plate 8 of the shank portion of the handle member 4 is a downwardly projecting bracket or plate 12, the lower margin of which is bent'outwardly at right angles to' provide a stop or guide flange 13, which is adapted to be engaged against the exterior of the can 1 when the can opener is applied to the can to permit the cover to be cut or removed.

Rotatably supported on one side of the bracket plate 12 is a peripherally knurled or toothed feed or advancing roller 14 having rigidly secured on the post or shaft thereof a wing handle or finger piece 15 whereby the advancing or feed roller 14 may be rotated by hand in frictional gripping engagement with the rim 16 of the can cover to cause the canopener to be advanced around the can causing the cutting edge of the knife or blade 10 to cut through the margin of the cover 2 to open the can.

During the cutting of the can cover 2, small particles or pieces '11 of the can metal are separated from the cut portions of the can and as they are separated are caused to be magnetically attracted to the magnetized blade 10 to which they. adhere, as clearly illustrated in Figuresl and 2 of the drawing. The improved magnetized type of can opener thus is advantageous in that the severed particles of metal resulting from the cutting of the can cover are prevented from dropping into the contents of the can and adhere to themagnetized cutting blade so that said particles may be removed with the removal of the can opener after the cover or top section of the can has been removed. The adherence of the particles of metal resulting from the cutting of the can to the magnetized cutting blade is of further importance in that there is no danger of injury or bad effects to be feared by persons eating of the contents of the can.

Figure 3 illustrates a modified form of can opener similar in construction to the one illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing with the exception that the magnetized cutting knife or blade 10 is omitted and is replaced by a modified cutting mechanism which will now be described.

The parts of the modified form of can opener which are similar to parts illustrated in the type of can opener illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 are designated by corresponding reference numerals. Rigidly secured by means of a screw or other suitable means to the shank portion 9 of the handle member 3 is a magnetized cutting blade or knife 1'1 formed of magnetized steel or the like to cause any particles or small-pieces of metal resulting from the cutting of the can cover 2 to be magnetically attracted to the cutting knife or blade 17 and adhere thereto so that after the can top or cover has been cut the resultant parti les or pieces of metal may be removed with the mag- -netized type of can opener so that said particles or pieces cannot drop into the contents of the can. Integrally' formed on the upper portion of the magnetized cutting knife or blade l'l-or rigidly secured to the shank portion of the can opener handle 3 is a magnetized bracket member 18, the end of which is bent outwardly to provide a guide plate or foot 19 which when the can opener is in a cutting position as illustrated in Figure 3 is adapted .to slidably move over the top'surface of the can top or cover 2 to hold the can cover or top magnetically attracted thereto so that whenthe cover or top is cut from the can it will not be permitted to drop into the contents 'of the can but will adhere to the magnetized bracket to be removed with the removal of the can opener.

While the improved can opener has been escribed as beingprovided with a magnetized type of cutting blade or knife and a magnetized cover attracting bracket in the form of can opener as illustrated in Figure 3 it will of course be understood that other parts of the can opener may be constructed of magnetic steel.

It will of course be understood that many other details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is therefore not the pur-- pose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended 106 claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A can opener including in combination a magnetic cutting member and a magnetic bracket member for magnetically attracting metallic 110 parts and the cover of a can which are severed resulting from the cutting of the can.

2. A can opener of the class described comprising a pair of connected handles, a magnetized combination cutting member and cover attracting means rigidly secured on one of said handles, and a rotatable feed member on the other of said handles.

3. A can opener of the class described comprising a pair of connected handles, a feed mem- 'ber rotatably supported on one of said handles,

a magnetized bracket secured on the other of said handles, and a magnetized cutting member forming a part of said bracket.

4. An opener for a metallic container, said opener comprising a stationary cutter, magnetic means mounted adjacent thereto, and means for engaging the cutter in the container and advancing the cutter to open the container allowing the can cover and any particles of the container 39 metal resulting from the cutting operation to magnetically adhere to said magnetic means.

5. A can opener comprising a magnetic bracket and cutter and means for operating the same.

6. A can opener comprising a magnetic cutter, means for operating the same, and a magnetic bracket forming a part of the can opener for attracting the can cover.

7. An opener for metal containers, including in combination, a magnetized cutting member for 4. severing a portion of the container and magnetically attracting any loose particles of metal resulting therefrom, means for moving the container relative to said member to effect a cutting of the container, said member, during the cutting operation, being held against transverse movement relative to the plane of the metal being severed to prevent displacement of metal particles collected thereon.

8. An opener for metal containers, including in 9. A can opener comprising a substantially horseshoe-shaped cutting blade, the blade being magnetized and having opposite magnetic poles, one of the legs of the horseshoe having a portion that is farthest away from the other leg sharpened and providing a magnetized cutting edge.

HANS VON WOLFORSDORF: 

